It has long been remarked, that sailors are the most imprudent class of men any where to be found, consequently, the least capable of taking care of themselves in any one way. Doubtless, this peculiarity of character, or apathy respecting their own interest, arises out of the circumstances by which they are surrounded; namely, by having a complete supply of food and raiment provided for them by Government, put under the charge of the purser, to be issued to them when wanted. Since seamen, therefore, are so perfectly insensible to their own welfare, it becomes necessary, that their officers should be on the alert for them, by guarding them against intemperance; regulating their clothing to the climate and season of the year; judiciously ventilating their berths; frequently airing their bedding; and sheltering them (as much as possible) from rain and a scorching sun, &c.

And it is in proportion to the care and patience which an officer displays in thus administering to the comforts of the men under his charge, that he is useful to the service and valuable to his country. Moreover, those individuals in the ser vice require the most attention, to whom we are disposed to give the least; for the more abandoned a character is, the more care is necessary to preserve his health. Hard drinkers, for ex

G

ample, are well known to be most subject to disease in the royal navy; and this arises from two causes; first, the greater degree of exposure to which such individuals are subjected in this state; and, secondly, the subsequent weakened state of the circulation.

I have here to observe, before leaving this subject, that inebriety is not only hurtful to man in a moral point of view, but some of the most noble of his physical qualities are not a little deteriorated by it. It has often been observed, "that men, whose spirits have been exhausted in the revel and danger of a debauch over night, are nerve-shaken, timorous, and unenterprizing, on the succeeding day."*

It is true, British seamen have rarely been found wanting in physical courage, yet, if the majority were drunkards, we might tremble for the result; but this is supposing a state of morality different to what exists, or applying the faults of the few to the many: happily, we still

This doctrine would almost lead one to conclude, that a man's courage depended on the strength of the circulation, or action of the heart and arteries. Be that as it may, most men are undoubtedly fitter to meet danger, when the circulation has been a little excited by spirits or wine, than after its stimulant effects have ceased. Moreover, I have observed, that those persons whose pulses were slower than the animal standard, have at least been timorous.

retain that steady native courage, the legitimate offspring of an unconquered ancestry, who, for centuries past, have kindled with indignation at an invading foe,

"And stand a wall of fire around their much lov'd isle.”

Remedy against Humidity on the Lower Deck.

It would serve no good purpose, thus to have pointed out the destructive influence of washing decks, if prophylactic means were not, to a certain extent, within our reach. In order, therefore, to preserve the health of a ship's company, the lower deck ought never (or very seldom) to be washed in any season or climate, but, uniformly dry holy stoned, and any water that may have been accidentally spilt there, should be carefully and speedily swabbed up, and afterwards dried by means of warm sand or saw-dust, kept in a stove in the galley for that purpose.

When the lower deck has been kept after these directions for a short time, it will be found, on examination, that it has become white, dry, and comfortable; and, in the event of seamen sitting, lying, or even sleeping, upon it, they will not sustain the least injury: and, not only the bedding and clothing, but, even the usual hy

grometric state of the atmosphere between decks, will be materially improved, and general good health will be the happy result.

Of the Time and Method of Washing the
Main and Quarter Decks.

As the main and quarter decks will occasionally require to be washed, the best judgment ought to be exercised in selecting the fittest hour of the day, and taking care never to continue the operations longer than is absolutely necessary for cleanliness' sake.

Ablution can never be necessary or salutary on the quarter deck in a morning after it has rained, nor should it ever be practised in cold climates, in winter, before breakfast, (at least in the present tedious plan which requires full three hours,) but an hour in the forenoon cught to be reserved for that purpose. It has been remarked by many, that the human constitution suffers severely from standing long in water, soon after rising in the morning. I think this may be accounted for in the following way.

It is well known that, during sleep, the heat of the hammocks, crowded state of the lower deck, and fuller action of the heart, elicits the

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circulation more to the surface of the body than in the erect position.

When, therefore, seamen are called up in this state to work in water, under the diminished temperature of the morning, the rush of blood from the surface to the centre is such, that no individual, having the least tendency to internal disease, can sustain the shock, without suffering the most manifest injury.

Whereas, if washing decks were performed after breakfast, time would be given for the seamen to recover from the effects of the heated and vitiated atmosphere in which they had slept, and the system, being now fortified by breakfast, would sustain little injury by washing decks, under the increasing temperature of the fore noon.*

The transition from a warm hammock, in a crowded lower deck, to the main and quarter decks, early in the morning, on many occasions, in winter, is greater than the shock from the warm to the cold bath; and this evil is much augmented by its long continuation. Yet custom, and the robust health of many seamen, prevent them from complaining: but we are not to measure the

* Few seamen have a healthy colour: this undoubtedly arises from humidity and the vitiated constitution of the atmosphere of the lower deck.